Daumants Kalniņš

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Singer Daumants Kalniņš started his soloist career at the age of nine, playing the role of the child-spirit in Mozart’s The Magic Flute on the stage of Latvian National Opera. In the following years he sang Miles in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, Amore in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Sheperd boy in Puccini’s Tosca, Oberto in Handel’s Alcina.

Daumants Kalniņš learned singing at Riga Cathedral Choir School and was a soloist in the Riga Cathedral Boys’ Choir. His descant voice can be heard on the CD Klausies, spulgacīt (Hear me out, Bright-eyes). After the break of the voice Daumants Kalnins has participated in such performances as Bernstein’s Westside Story, Schönberg’s Les Misérables, Jānis Ķirsis’ Class and Football on Podiums. Daumants has studied oboe and jazz vocals at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, he leads a jazz quintet, composes jazz balades, performs with guitarist Kaspars Zemītis, Orchestra Riga, Jelgava Bigband. He has collaborated with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Latvian Radio Choir, Raimonds Pauls et al.

Daumants Kalniņš has won the Latvian Annual Theatre Award Player’s Night as the New Artist of the Year and has been nominated for the highest music award in Latvia The Grand Music Award for his performance as Hunchback in Zigmars Liepiņš’ melodrama Notre-Dame de Paris. He has won the public sympathy award twice at The Grand Music Award. Daumants is a laureate of many jazz vocal competitions, including the achievement of Grand Prix at Riga Jazz Stage 2015 competition for young jazz musicians.